OP-ED
Will Queens bus redesign really speed things up?
BY ALLAN ROSEN
Can we expect
improvements from a Queens
bus network redesign?
That depends on the
goals and objectives of the
study. Thus far, the MTA has
indicated that the focus will
be on increasing bus speeds
and making the system more
efficient and reliable. This
would be accomplished by
more direct routing, wider
bus stop spacing, additional
SBS routes and more exclusive
bus lanes.
They are also favoring
reduced coverage by
eliminating lightly utilized
or “underperforming”
routes in exchange for
increasing coverage in high
density corridors and routes
being less redundant with
subways, putting routes
such as the Q56 in danger
of elimination.
Whenever there is a
subway blockage, it can often
take hours for replacement
bus service which is far from
adequate. These redundant
routes are necessary in
case of a blockage and for
reasons such as increased
accessibility. Surely, the MTA
must recognize that.
The MTA is placing far too
much emphasis
on improving
bus speeds with
not enough on
reducing travel
times. The two
may sound the
same but are
in fact, very
different.
Re duc i n g
travel times
r e s u l t s
from better
r e l i abi l i t y,
more frequent
s e r v i c e ,
r e d u c e d
walking time,
and having
to make fewer connections.
Fewer bus stops and more
direct routing will speed buses
but can increase travel time.
Photo via Wikimedia Commons
Mayor Bill de Blasio is
proposing to spend $280
million to increase average
bus speeds by one mile per
hour, in part by adding more
exclusive bus lanes. The
City Council speaker, Corey
Johnson, recommended
adding 30 miles of exclusive
bus lanes each year with
the requirement that every
redesigned bus route include
exclusive lanes without regard
to traffic impact.
If the MTA intends to
improve reliability by splitting
long bus routes in half, as it
has done in the past, the need
for additional transferring
would further increase travel
times. It could also result
in additional fares. Monies
from congestion
pricing should be
spent for additional
bus routes and
more frequent
service not on
inefficient capital
improvements or
more expensive
SBS service.
Excessive travel
times and walking
distances, poor
reliability, a lack of
direct routing, too
many connections
and/or fares, and
a perception of the
lack of personal
safety are the
major reasons why bus service
is shunned by many. The lack
of direct service and excessive
walking to or from a bus route
is referred to as a “service gap”
or being in a “transit desert.”
These issues must be
addressed to reverse the
decline in bus ridership. Yet,
increasing coverage is not
one of the MTA priorities.
Reducing coverage is.
Access within the borough
and between boroughs must
also be improved. The MTA
needs to consider operating
additional bus routes over
the Whitestone and Marine
Park bridges. This is also
accomplished by filling
service gaps, and instituting
a nighttime bus network
where bus routes operate
more frequently than every 60
minutes, not by spacing routes
further apart and eliminating
bus stops.
Lastly, the process needs to
be honesCant and transparent
with meaningful public input,
not like the SBS process.
The MTA needs to do this
one right.
Allan Rosen is a retired
former Director of Bus
Planning for MTA NYC Transit
and worked for the MTA for
nearly 25 years, has been in
the transportation field for
32 years.
ON THE WEB
LAST WEEK’S TOP STORY:
Robbers bash man in the head on the stairwell of an Elmhurst
subway station.
SUMMARY: Police are looking for a duo who violently
attacked a 35-year-old man while trying to rob him at an Elmhurst
subway station in April.
VISIT US ONLINE AT QNS.COM
CHECK OUT OUR SOCIAL MEDIA PAGES:
www.facebook.com/timesledger
www.twitter.com/TimesLedger
www.instagram.com/qnsgram
LETTERS POLICY
Letters should be typed or neatly handwritten, and those longer than 300
words may be edited for brevity and clarity. All letters must include the
writer’s name and phone number for verification. Names may be withheld
from publication if requested, but anonymously sent letters will not be
printed. Letters must be received by Thursday noon to appear in the next
week’s paper. All letters become the property of Schneps Media and may be
republished in any format.
TIMESLEDGER,QNS.COM BT MAY 3-9, 2019 17
/timesledger
/TimesLedger
/qnsgram
/QNS.COM
/timesledger
/TimesLedger
/qnsgram
/TIMESLEDGER,QNS.COM